Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer
Created: 07/18/2010 02:16:01 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – A search warrant was served at a bail bond business after sheriff’s deputies received word that bail agents were violating solicitation rules.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s detectives and investigators from the Department of Insurance served a search warrant Thursday at Bail Hotline Bail Bonds, 8821 Etiwanda Ave.

“The company is accused of allegedly soliciting inmates and using them to solicit other inmates to use that agency only for their bail bonds,” said sheriff’s spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire. “Let’s say a person is arrested and brought in and booked into jail. They cannot promote or encourage the use of a certain bail bonds company.”

Bail Hotline was not only allegedly encouraging their their agents to solicit inmates, but they are suspected of using inmates to solicit for them as well.

“So they could drum up business,” Wiltshire said.

Doing that is a violation of Penal Code 160, as well as Section 1800 of the Insurance Code, according to a sheriff’s news release.

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